Monday, November 23, 2015

Rest in Peace Gavi

This week is a very black week for all Stirlingites, Jason Gaviati's family, friends, crew and especially for his best friend Lindsey Stirling. Certainly most of you already know that Jason Gaviati also called Gavi passed away November 21st 2015 at 5 pm PST.

For all of you who don't know who Gavi is or what happened to him, here are some short facts about him.

Gavi was a touring musician, songwriter and producer who lived in Los Angeles. But most of us will know him as the world's best keyboard player who go on tour together with Lindsey Stirling. He had a sister called Beverly Gaviati.

Everyone who knows or at least met him knows that he was a very likeable, optimistic and happy guy. I had the honor to meet him once during the Meet&Greet in Cologne, Germany October 17th 2014. Unfortunately I didn't take a photo from him then.

Here's my photo with Lindsey Stirling from the Meet&Greet in 
Cologne, Germany October 17th 2014.

Gavi began learning how to play the keyboard late, but he mastered it very well. Several years ago he met Lindsey Stirling in Los Angeles and they became friends. In the autumn of 2012 Lindsey started her first tour ever in the USA and Gavi was part of her crew. He was her keyboard player. Since then they also went on tour together all over the world several times. They were touring of course in the USA but also in Europe, Asia, Australia, Mexico and even South America. Only very few people had such a live. Over the years Gavi and Lindsey became best friends.

Here you can see Gavi and Lindsey in a train near Cologne, Germany. 
The photo was taken January 2013 during the first European tour. The tour started in Cologne.

 
 Here you can see Gavi, Lindsey and Drew standing in the monsoon in Asia summer 2013.

 Gavi, Lindsey and Drew in Australia summer 2013.

Gavi also made music videos together with Lindsey.

Here you can watch Lindsey's and Gavi's amazing "Les Misérables Medley"

 Till summer 2015 everything went well. When he was in Germany during his last tour he went to a doctor because he found an enlarged lymph node on his neck.

Here you can see Gavi, Lindsey and Drew during the Meet&Greet from his last concert in 
Germany July 17th 2015. Because of the high temperatures the concert was canceled.

After Gavi returned back to the USA he got the diagnose that he had Burkitt Lymphoma. Of course this was a shock for himself, his family and friends, Lindsey and her crew and for all Stirlingites. As soon as possible he began with the chemo.

Here you can see Gavi in hospital watching for the beginning of the chemo. 
As you can see he always was a very optimistic person even in such bad times.

The first round of chemo was very awful for him. There are no better words to describe it than his own ones.

Here you can read Gavi's post after the first round of chemo. 

 Even in this bad time he never forgot us and posted news.
Here you can see Lindsey visiting Gavi in hospital.

Finally he mastered the last round of chemo successfully and could go home. The doctors told him that he is cancer free.

Here you can see Gavi leaving the hospital. Even after the chemo he stay strong.

Although he was on the mend something awfully went wrong November 21st 2015. Suddenly he got difficulties with breathing and he lost consciousness. Immediately he was brought to the Emergency Room. He had several cardiac arrests. But the doctors could help him several times till his heart stopped working completely. Gavi passed away November 21st 2015 at 5 pm PST.

But all of us who believes in God like I do, know that the death isn't the end. It's only a door to another (the next) part of everyone's way of life.

Although some of us know this, but loosing a friend is the worst and the hardest in life. There is nothing which could prepare you for such a situation. You are always shocked and all your problems seem to be unimportant compared with this. You don't know how you could live your life the same way as before.

Even if this is very hard to say for me, life is going on even if you don't want this. This is unfortunately a very hard fact. You have to find a way to handle this situation. And the one and only way to handle it is to mourn this person. There is no other way.

Of course there are many different ways of mourning. My preferred way to mourn a person is to meet family and friends to talk with them about the person who passed away. Tell them what a person he/she was and how he/she had changed your life. When you speak about this, your soul and mind are able to find a way to handle it, because you have to realize your feelings and the fact that the person is gone. And there's another positive aspect from this way of mourning. You keep the person who passed away in your heart and thoughts. You are able to re-experience all the good times with him/her again.

This edit was made by Janine Bräuninger.

Rest in Peace Gavi. 
You always will stay in our thoughts and hearts.
#WeAreGavi

Written by Andreas S. Janke 

2 comments:

  1. Thank you so much for writing this! You described everything very well and it is good to have Stirlingites that understand and help eachother. We will surely miss Gavi and wished it would have turned out differently. Best wishes and comfort for his family, Lindsey and the crew and all his close ones!

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